Now, Dextre's simple gripper attaches to only certain places on the ISS. Sarah, a three-fingered gripper designed by CSA engineers at Laval University in Quebec, will allow it to grab a variety of handles.
The ISS uses Velcro-attached thermal blankets to keep external components from getting too hot or cold. The Blanket-Manipulation Tool, another Laval project, could help Dextre to replace or adjust them.
Soldiers who manage to walk away from explosions in Iraq may actually be suffering terrible—yet invisible—brain trauma. Could blast waves be fueling a new breed of injury?